- Suckling lamb from the Pyrenees: 1/2 roast beef (back section between the second ribs and last rib of the tenderloin)
- Garlic: 2 crushed cloves
- Savory: 1 sprig
- Fleur de sel, freshly ground pepper
- Offal: 1 liver, 1 heart, 2 kidneys, sweetbreads, 2 milk-fed lamb brains
- Olive oil + 1 clove of garlic
- Red wine: 10 cl
- Espelette pepper powder
- Savory tops: 10
- Lamb jus:
Sautéed lamb (neck and breast): 2 kg
- Grape seed oil: 15 cl
- Savory: 1 sprig
- Poultry white stock: 2 litres
- Red piquillo peppers: 4
- Ratte potatoes: 500 g
- Olive oil: 30 cl
- Flat-leaf parsley: 1/2 bunch
Difficulty: Advanced (4/5)
- Prepare the lamb jus: Heat the grape seed oil in a cast iron casserole. Brown the 2 kg of lamb neck and breast, degrease lightly, add shallots cut on the bias, crushed garlic, and savory. Cover and sweat for 5 minutes over low heat. Add a ladle of white stock and scrape the pan. Cover barely with stock, reduce to a simmer, add remaining stock, and reduce to a syrupy consistency. Strain through a fine sieve and season.
- Prepare the offal: Remove skin from liver and cut into large strips. Skin and trim heart, cut into 4 sticks. Trim fat from kidneys and halve. Remove membrane from sweetbreads. Drain brains under cold water; quarter one and chop the other.
- Prepare the stuffing: Roast piquillo peppers under embers or broiler until skin blackens, peel, remove stems and seeds. Marinate in olive oil. These thin Spanish red peppers offer bold flavor.
- Cook spleens in cold water to a boil, simmer 20 minutes. Peel and mash hot Ratte potatoes with a fork, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add parsley leaves.
- Trim lamb fillets, keeping panoufle (fat-muscle layer) attached. Remove nerves and excess fat, roll panoufle over meat, tie with string. Season with fleur de sel. Sear in hot sauté pan until crispy, add garlic and savory, cook 10-12 minutes, rest 10 minutes in warm place.
- Sauté offal: Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet with garlic. Brown liver, heart, kidneys, sweetbreads, and brains over high heat for 3 minutes. Degrease, deglaze with red wine, add 2 tbsp lamb jus, thicken with chopped brains. Season with Espelette pepper and savory tops.
- Stuff peppers with potato mash. Untie and degrease meat, keeping crispy panoufle. Slice fillets and panoufle. Season.
- Plate: Arrange offal, lamb slices, panoufle, and stuffed pepper. Drizzle hot lamb jus around.
Source: Jean-François Piège, Alain Ducasse's studio, Hatchet. A pinnacle of French culinary artistry.
